Red Ridinghood and The Woodsman
by EreshkigalGirl
Summary: Now that the curse is broken, Ruby has been noticing some…changes. Can an old ally help, even if it means putting his children in danger from a wolf? - Rated T for mild language and violence. This story is not related to the Nov. 11, 2012 upcoming episode, "Children of the Moon."
1. Prologue

_**Red Riding Hood and the Woodsman**_

**_Now that the curse is broken, Ruby has been noticing some…changes. Can an old ally help, even if it means putting his children in danger from a wolf?_**

Author's Note: Yes, I totally ganked the title from _Snow White and the Huntsman_, but definitely not the plot. The idea came to me in a bolt of lightning: What if Hansel and Gretel's father is the woodcutter who saved Little Red Riding Hood from the wolf? How would that fit into _Once Upon A Time_ world? This is what I came up with. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with the television show Once Upon A Time, the ABC network, nor Disney escept as a viewer. No copywrite infringement is intended by this work of fiction.

By the way, I came up with the idea before finding out that 11/11/12's episode, "Children of the Moon," would feature Ruby's re-emergent wolf. Darn! The writers were ahead of me. But they didn't bring in the Woodsman, so I'll keep my fic going.

Storybrooke, Maine—normal font

_Enchanted Forest—italicized font_

* * *

Granny woke with her arm twinging, as it always did around full moon. The dull throb was the first thing she noticed as her dream-fogged thoughts re-formed into consciousness, slowly pulling the two memories of her lives into a single reality. The next thing she noticed what how quiet it was.

Ever since Ruby took a break from waitressing to work at the sheriff's station with Emma, and had gotten a bigger dose of reality than her Storybrooke-self had ever dealt with, the girl had gladly taken a bigger part in running the diner. Ruby was the first to get up now to put on breakfast for herself and Granny and then go down to let in the first deliveries and their wonderful short-order cook so that Granny could sleep in a little later. Today, however, there were no sounds of brewing coffee and Ruby's muttering as she tried to scramble egg-beaters and fry turkey bacon (which had been proscribed for Granny after her heart attack, and while they were no longer sure there really was anything wrong with the woman's heart aside from Regina's curse making it a little weaker, she was edging into her seventies, and both Ruby and Granny figured it couldn't hurt keeping a low-fat and sodium diet.) There was no creak of the floorboards as Ruby moved around their little apartment attached to the diner and bed-and-breakfast they ran. Absent was the sound of Ruby's radio playing the hard rock that even post-curse the girl insisted on listening to. There was nothing.

Slowly, listening carefully in case she'd simply missed her granddaughter being unusually quiet this morning, Granny sat up in bed. When still she heard nothing, she slid her legs out from the blankets and stepped into her slippers.

"Ruby?" she called.

No answer.

Granny went out and knocked on Ruby's door before opening it a crack, calling her name.

The bed was empty and un-made, though that wasn't unusual.

Granny's senses were no longer as sharp as they had been when she was young and aided by the Wolf's instincts, but even now, she could smell the musky tang of wildness in the room where there had been none last night.

"Oh, lord," she breathed. "It's starting again."

She rushed downstairs and looked all though the diner calling Ruby's name, her worry increasing.

"Ruby! Rub—"

She chocked the word off when she opened the back door into the service alley. On the ground near the trashcans, Ruby lay curled up, her hands dirty and scraped, still wearing her pajamas, her hair tangled around her shoulders. Granny moved closer to the girl careful not to make too much noise and frighten her. She remembered how disorienting the shift could be at first. She crouched next to Ruby, steadying herself with a hand on the gritty pavement and reached out with her other hand to touch her granddaughter's shoulder.

"Ruby? Sweetheart?"

The girl groaned as she came around.

"That's it," Granny crooned. "Come on."

Ruby frowned up at her grandmother. She pushed her hair out of her face and had to detach a sleep-swollen tongue from the roof of her mouth before she could ask, "What happened? Why am I outside?"

"Do you remember anything from last night?" Granny asked. "Anything at all?"

Still muzzy, it took Ruby a moment to understand what she was asking?

"Do I remember…?" she said. "I remember getting ready for bed, brushing my teeth…then nothing."

Ruby met Granny's eyes, her own darkening as she realized what her grandmother was not saying.

"It's happening again, isn't it?"

Granny pressed her lips tight, refusing to even voice it here, in Storybrooke, in the daylight.

Ruby was braver.

"I'm shifting again." She sighed. "And we don't know where the Hood is."

* * *

Please review! If you noticed any errors, they are all mine, as this story is un-beta'd.


	2. Part 1

**Red Riding Hood and the Woodsman**

Now that the curse is broken, Ruby has been noticing some…changes. Can an old ally help, even if it means putting his children in danger from a wolf?

**Author's Note:** I came up with the idea before finding out that 11/11/12's episode, "Children of the Moon," would feature Ruby's re-emergent wolf. Darn! The writers were ahead of me. But they didn't bring in the Woodsman, so I'll keep my fic going.

I can't promise how often this fic will be updated, but I'm hoping every couple of days, as Real Life allows.

Storybrooke, Maine—normal font

_Enchanted Forest—italicized font_

* * *

By the time Ruby was showered and dressed, it was already seven 'o'clock, and the diner was open and serving the early risers. She tied her high-topped combat boots tight and pulled her hair back from her face with a red handkerchief knotted on top of her head. She really wanted to button the red flannel shirt she pulled on over a white tee up to her neck, but she thought that might broadcast how naked and vulnerable she felt at the moment. Ironic, really, since she spent so many years fighting Granny about wearing her red hood and then resenting the need for it. Now, she'd give almost anything to have it back.

"Ruby?" Granny called up.

"Yeah, Granny, I'm coming."

With one last deep breath, Ruby put on a happy face and bounced down the stairs to the diner.

"Sorry I'm late today," she apologized, leaning in to kiss Granny's cheek.

"Morning, sweetie," Granny returned, patting Ruby's cheek. "Do you think you could watch the diner alone for a little while? I have an errand or two to run."

Ruby looked at her, one brow raised in suspicion.

Granny acknowledged the unasked question with a nod.

"I'll keep an eye out for it," she promised.

Ruby bit the inside of her lip and felt bile rise. She cleared her throat quickly. "Sure, no problem. Looks like it will be quiet today."

_I hope_, she added silently.

Granny reached out and gave her a quick squeeze, whispering, "You leave it to me, all right? I'll be back soon. Love you."

"Love you, too."

Ruby didn't have time to fret; as Granny went out the door, Michael Tillman and his two kids came in for their customary breakfast before Mike dropped them at school. Even before the curse broke, Mike had been bringing his kids to the diner for breakfast—and sometimes dinner—after he got custody of them. Apparently his culinary skills went as far as Kraft Mac 'N' Cheese or the occasional Hamburger Helper and no further. The kids were always polite, although Nick was more likely to crack a joke or blow a straw wrapper across the table at his sister, and Mike tipped well.

Cursed-Ruby had known that Ava and Nicolas had lost their mom and nearly had to go into foster care—which hit a little close to home, since Ruby herself might have been in the same situation if Granny hadn't taken her in after her own mother abandoned her—so she was always extra nice to them. Un-cursed, Ruby now knew that these poor kids had been on their own for a very long time, and she was glad their father had finally found them. Besides, they were friends of Henry, which was enough to earn Ruby's loyalty.

The family took their usual booth, and Ruby brought them their menus, though she had more than a suspicion they wouldn't need them.

"Morning, Tillman's," she greeted them with a smile. "Let me guess: one large black coffee, one large chocolate milk, one glass of orange juice, one tall stack of pancakes, one short stack, and a toast-and-scrambler breakfast plate?"

"Coffee, yes," Mike confirmed then looked to the twins.

"Chocolate milk," Nick agreed, smiling widely.

"And an orange juice," Ava added.

Ruby nodded, not bothering to write it down in her order pad. "Have you guys considered trying something else? Branching out a little? I know our fabulous short-order _chef du jour_ would just love to introduce you to the many and varied ways to cook an egg."

"Why fix what's not broken?" Mike countered. "But if it makes you feel better, I'll added a side of bacon, extra crispy, to go with my pancakes."

"Me too," Nick piped up.

Ava rolled her eyes. "I'm the only one trying not to clog my arteries. Just scrambled eggs and toast, please."

Ruby had to smile at them.

"Your usual, plus bacon. Got it."

She dropped off the Tillmans' orders at the window and went to grab the milk, juice, and coffee and take them over to the booth. "Here you guys go. Your food should be up in a few minutes." She turned to wink at Nicolas. "I think those pancakes were started even before you walked in."

As she leaned in to pass Mike his coffee, Ava spotted Ruby's earrings—dangling beaded feathers on red-dyed leather strips—and cooed.

"Where did you get your earrings? They're so cool."

Ruby grinned. "Thanks. I think I got these at the little jewelry shop run by Maia down on Elm Street." She leaned down and whispered, "I think she's actually Maid Marian, but I'm not positive."

Ava laughed and asked her dad if she could get a pair like Ruby's.

"Sure," Mike agreed. "We'll go this weekend."

"Thank you!" Ava squealed, latching onto her dad's arm and squeezing.

"Cool, we can match," Ruby said, exchanging a grin with the girl.

As she moved back to the counter, the jingle of the bells at the front door drew her attention as David and Henry came in. Ruby slid behind the high counter and reached automatically for the coffee pot and a mug for David as they headed for the stools closest to her.

"Hey, guys. How's your morning going?"

"It'll be better if I can have some of Granny's famous apple fritters," David said, smiling.

"One order of apple fritters, coming up," Ruby said. "How about you, Henry? How's your prince-training going?"

"Okay," the boy said, shrugging. "I'm getting better with my sword work, but my horse still hasn't told me I can ride him yet."

"But," David was quick to reassure his grandson, "you're both getting to know and trust each other, which is just as important as the technique of riding."

Ruby shrugged. "Don't ask me. Horses don't like me, for some reason."

David and Ruby shared a look full of grim humor. He-Prince James-had once seen her in wolf form chase down a mounted soldier, and while James had bound the man to take him back to camp for interrogation, Ruby had fed on the horse. Something Ruby then realized might become a reoccurrence for her soon.

Trying to ignore that lovely thought, she asked, "Apple fritters for you too, Henry?"

The boy shuddered. "No thanks. Can I get a blueberry muffin instead?"

By now, the bells above the door were going almost non-stop as the breakfast rush began to pick up. Ruby left the two charming princes and turned to help a line of customers who came in for coffee and pastries to go on their ways to work. A few minutes later, the ding of the order bell at the kitchen window called Ruby's attention and she looked up to see two stacks of pancakes, two plates of bacon, and the plate of eggs and toast steaming on the ledge. With the ease of long practice, Ruby stacked the plates on one arm and grabbed the pot of coffee with her free hand for Mike's customary re-fill.

As Ruby set the plates down, a strong whiff of the bacon wafted up and her stomach growled in appreciation. The Tillmans all looked up at her in surprise.

"Sorry about that," she said, blushing.

"When was the last time _you_ ate?" Nick asked.

Ruby tried to laugh, but her throat constricted worry about the same thing: Had she hunted last night? Had she killed? Had she eaten anything while she was in wolf form?

Peter.

Gods, Peter.

_Please don't let me have hurt anyone_, she prayed.

"Ruby?" Ava asked, jerking her back to the present.

"Yeah?" She saw the three of them looking at her in concern. "Sorry, I guess I forgot breakfast this morning, so I'm a little out of it."

Nick, already tucked into his short stack, reached for a piece of his bacon and offered it up, making Ruby laugh.

"Wan' it?" he asked with his mouth full.

"Thanks, but you can keep that. I'll go back to the kitchen and grab something."

She felt Mike's eyes on her and quickly left them to their breakfasts while she returned to the breakfast rush. For once, Ruby was glad of the busy period since it left her very little time to think or worry. She threw herself into pouring coffee, taking orders, delivering food, bagging bagels and muffins and scones for to-go orders. For the first time since the curse broke, she pulled out the slightly flighty rocker-chick personality of Storybrooke Ruby to use as a shield against the far more serious concerns of the Enchanted Forest's Red. Henry looked at her a little strangely, but kept any observations to himself, instead chatting about his prince-lessons and the possibility of him joining his mom and Dr. Hopper for family counseling sessions. David seemed to be too preoccupied with various Storybrooke residents coming up to him to complaint about one thing or another with must have the Prince's immediate attention. It kept him busy until 7:45, when he dropped some money on the countertop for his and Henry's breakfasts, and he took the boy to school.

A few minutes later, Mike came up to the register to pay while Ava and Nicolas finished up and got their backpacks on. He held the money out to Ruby and cleared his throat. Ruby looked up in surprise.

"Was anything wrong with the food?" she wondered.

"No, nothing," he reassured her. "I just wanted to make sure you really were okay. You seem kind of…I don't know. Not like your usual self—your real self."

She felt her smile fail. With all of their years in Storybrooke as vague acquaintances, it was sometimes hard to remember that, once upon a time, they had been friends and allies. But how do you tell someone you respect that you're a monster?

* * *

_Regina stood on her balcony, gazing out at the Enchanted Forest below her, her back to the doorway of her tower chamber in the Winter Palace. Today's gown featured both a chainmail corset and a fringe of wolves teeth along the bodice. She'd had to assure her Huntsman that they had all been procured prior to the ban on wolf hunting. However, today she needed to make a statement, and the teeth were the perfect accessory to punctuate it, emphatically. _

"_He's coming," the Genie announced from the mirror on the wall behind her._

"_Is he what I need?"_

"_I believe so, Your Majesty," he said. "He's ruthless—far more so than that rather disappointing Huntsman who couldn't seem to kill your step-daughter. This one is vicious. A true killer." The Genie paused for a heartbeat. "Please be careful, Regina. While he is everything you required in an assassin… I fear he is not to be trusted. He _will_ turn on you if you don't keep an eye on him."_

"_That is why I have you," she reminded him. "To be my eyes even when I am not present."_

_A respectful knock sounded._

"_Enter!"_

"_Your Majesty," the former Huntsman, now one of her trusted guards and a frequent bed-warmer, announced. "May I present the assassin Romulus, as you requested."_

_Regina took a single beat to continue her viewing of the Forest, letting the assassin and her Huntsman know their places before she slowly turned. She'd practiced that turn for an hour before she was sure she could make it without a single clink of the chainmail or making the teeth sway too much. Even the stiff black taffeta of her gown barely rustled against the stone floor. Her mother would have been proud._

"_You may leave us," she told the Huntsman._

_He hesitated a moment, glancing at the man next to him. "Your Majesty, I—"_

"_I don't believe I requested your opinion," Regina cut him off. "You. May. Go."_

_The Huntsman bowed deeply and retreated, closing the door softly behind him._

"_Now then," she mused, looking her guest over. He was shorter than her Huntsman, but broader in the shoulder. He was not quite as lovely as her pet, either, but there was a rough, rugged attractiveness to his face. His clothing fit his profession, she thought. Black, mostly, and much-patched, but made of good leather and linen. His boots looked sturdy and were the newest piece of his ensemble. He carried no weapons—not that he would have been allowed to keep them in her presence, but he wore no scabbard for a sword or sheath for a knife of any length. Regina was sure that the Huntsman would have searched him and found anything he carried, so nothing was hiding. Interesting._

"_Romulus, wasn't it?"_

"_Yes, Your Majesty," the man said. _

_She would almost have said he'd purred were that not totally unlikely._

"_Your reputation is quite impressive," Regina said. "Larceny. Assault. Murder." She raised a single brow. "Quite a few of counts of the last one."_

"_I get around," Romulus said._

"_Obviously." She moved further into the room, circling him. The Huntsman had already warned her about making eye contact for too long with this man. It would have been seen as a challenge, and while she was certain she could handle him, she saw no reason to provoke a fight when she required his assistance. "Do you know why I asked for you?"_

"_Summoned me, you mean," he corrected. "I assumed you wanted someone killed. It's what I do, generally. I should warn you: I'm not discreet. My kills tend to be…messy."_

_He grinned, and his teeth appeared to be a little longer than average._

"_I don't care how you kill her, only that you do," Regina assured him. _

"_Snow White?" Romulus guessed._

"_No, an ally of hers. Someone who has caused me to lose quite a number of my soldiers and may pose a threat to my security with regards to one of my personal guards. Your target is a fellow werewolf, as a matter of fact." She crooked her brow at him in question. "That won't be a problem, will it?"_

"_Never has been before."_

"_I had hoped not." Regina smiled at this wonderfully coldblooded killer standing before her. "No one else would risk taking her on, but a fellow wolf shouldn't be worried about being infected."_

"_A she-wolf?" Romulus asked._

"_Did I not just say so?" she snapped._

_For a moment, his face went blank and Regina worried he was going to try to back out due to some protective instinct for the females of the species or something equally ridiculous. Then the smile was back, his teeth even longer, and a quick glance at his face showed his eyes, now yellow, reflecting the torchlight. _

"_A she-wolf… they're rare." He tilted his head to one side, looking at her out of the corner of his eyes. "Can I play with her before I kill her?"_

_Regina was thankful for the corset that kept her back rigidly straight and prevented her from reacting too strongly to his implication. Apparently there were still traces of her former, soft-hearted self underneath the Queen's cool exterior. She immediately quashed the shudder of revulsion and forced a light tone into her voice._

"_Do as you please, so long as Snow White is left without one of her sharpest weapons and closest friends. And in return, I will grant you the same concession that all wolves have in my kingdom: free reign to do as you please. No one will hunt you. No one will trap you. No one will try to drive you away. Do you accept the job?"_

"_I assure you, Your Majesty," Romulus growled, his mouth now starting to elongate, "it will be my deepest pleasure."_

* * *

A/N: Once again, thank you for reading! And, as this fic is un-beta'd if you happen to spot any type-o's or grammer errors, please let me know so I can fix them.


	3. Part 2

**Red Riding Hood and the Woodsman**

Now that the curse is broken, Ruby has been noticing some…changes. Can an old ally help, even if it means putting his children in danger from a wolf?

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with the television show Once Upon A Time, the ABC network, nor Disney escept as a viewer. No copywrite infringement is intended by this work of fiction.

Storybrooke, Maine—normal font

_Enchanted Forest—italicized font_

Author's Note: After watching the 11/11/12 episode "Children of the Moon," I've gone back and edited a few things. Mostly it's regarding Red's past as a wolf. Basically, assume that everything that happened to Red still applies, but the Storybrooke portion of the episode doesn't exist.

* * *

PART 2

Granny strode down lovely Wesleyan Street with a fierce desire for vengeance in her heart. She wasn't generally a violent person, the need for self-protection in the form of crossbows notwithstanding. But when those she loved were in danger, Ruby (or rather, Red) had once teased her that even mama bears would be wise to back down. Granny had laughed at the time since Red hadn't yet known about their double nature.

And, for the record, no, a mama bear wouldn't take on this Granny. Not lightly, anyway.

She stepped up to number 108, the former mayor's door, and pitilessly thought they should have let the mob have her after the curse broke. Granny curled her hand into a fist and wrapped on the door like she desperately wanted to do on Regina's face. She barely stopped herself from tapping her foot in the few minutes it took the ex-mayor to open her door.

Regina blinked and frowned in confusion.

"Granny," she said, not as a greeting but as a statement of bewilderment before her control and poise came back to save her. Regina squared her shoulders and clasped her hands loosely in front of her. "Was there something I could help you with?"

"Do you have Ruby's red cloak?" Granny asked without preamble.

Regina's frown deepened. "Pardon?"

"The red cloaks that keeps Ruby's wolf in check," Granny clarified, nearly gritting her teeth as she said it. "Do you have it?"

"Why would I have your granddaughter's cloak?" Regina asked.

"No idea," Granny admitted. "But since we don't have it, and you're the one who worked the curse, I thought I'd come ask you."

"Is there a particular reason that you need the cloak?"

Granny hesitated, and it was enough for Regina (so subtly) to gain the upper hand in the conversation. She simply leaved forward the tiniest bit, lifted her chin, and shifted her weight to her dominant foot. Most people wouldn't have seen it, but Granny still had an old, old wolf running around in her psyche, and she picked up on little cues that would pass others by. Oh, everyone reacted to them; they just didn't usually understand why. Regina had just moved into a dominant position and forced Granny into a submissive, defensive role.

The wolf in Granny didn't like it.

She took a step forward, into Regina's personal space, and snarled. "If you have the cloak, you wicked, evil bitch, you need to hand it over now."

"Or what?"

"That is the question, isn't it," Granny answered honestly. She had no idea what she would do or what would happen to Ruby without that cloak.

Regina curled her lip, her hands falling down to her sides to curl slightly.

"If you can't control your granddaughter, that's not my problem. Oh, and I did notice the incredible irony of _you_ calling _me_ a bitch. Rather like the pot calling the kettle black, isn't it?"

"I suppose there are quite of few of us who have issues of control," she replied. "The way you are, Henry's no safer around you than I may be around Ruby. At least my granddaughter has an excuse."

"She'll need more than an excuse if she ends up ripping someone's throat out tonight."

"We should have let the mob have you," Granny snarled.

"But you didn't."

Before Granny could say anything else, Regina closed her eyes and took a deep breath, loosening her shoulders and forcing herself to be calm. When she opened her eyes, she appeared less like the Queen and more like the woman she'd been in Storybrooke before Emma Swann had come and rekindled the evil dictator in her.

"I appreciate what you're implying, Granny," Regina said. "But I can assure you, the last time I saw the Red's cloak was when she was wearing it as she and Snow White's forces attacked me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to head back to the laundry room. I have a load to finish before I head to my appointment with Dr. Hopper."

Meaning that someone would notice and mention it if she wasn't seen this afternoon, Granny interpreted. Taking a deep breath of her own, her nose confirmed that Regina did in fact smell like April fresh detergent and fabric softener along with her cosmetics, deodorant, and a hint of Chanel. Granny let the air slowly slide out of her and nodded stiffly.

"If Ruby does get loose," Granny said, "I hope to heaven she heads this way."

And with that, she turned away and headed back down the walk.

It took Regina a moment too long to turn around and go back in, but no bolts of magic hit her, so Granny kept walking, head high, back to her car.

Once behind the wheel, Granny let her shoulders fall and her head rest against the seat. She pressed her lips together and tried to force down panic and bile. She hadn't really expected Regina to have it or to tell her if she did, but she'd hoped, with the curse broken, the Queen might see she'd lost and just let them all live their lives in peace. For Ruby, that meant a cage of enchanted red wool without which could lead to death before the week was out.

She sniffled, once, then sat up straight and forced the tears away. She put the key in the ignition and started the car. There was one last place for Granny to check before she gave up hope completely. She needed to go see the man who had created the red cloak in the first place.

Granny pulled up outside Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop a few minutes later and turned the car off. There were even fewer people around this part of town now that the curse had broken than there had even before. No one went to see Mr. Gold unless they were paying him rent or gratuities, or unless they were desperate enough to sell something they held dear out of desperate need. Either way, he wasn't a man anyone went to see on a whim and never for anything but the most mercenary of purposes. Now that the town realized the feared Mr. Gold was Rumplestiltskin, the dreaded Dark One, known for his demonic deals and high-pitched, squealing giggle, the denizens of Storybrooke were even more eager to avoid his shop.

The solitary jingling bell over the door of the pawn shop was somehow not as friendly as the cacophonous jangling of the cluster of silver bells that signaled a new customer at the diner. Granny pulled her sweater tighter around her shoulders, feeling the need for more armor in the Dark One's lair. The man himself hobbled out of the back room and seemed genuinely surprised to see her.

"Why, Granny. To what do I owe this unexpected visit? I believe you're current on your rent, so it can't be that."

"No," she agreed. "It's not about Storybrooke matters. It's about Forest matters."

"I see," he said, and then stood quietly, waiting for Granny to say her piece.

He'd always been one to let someone weave their own rope so he could fashion the tightest noose.

"You see," she began, "it's Ruby. She's…changing."

"Children often do that, I find," Mr. Gold said.

She sent him a quick glare which did nothing to effect his calm.

"I mean, the wolf is coming back," Granny admitted. "I found Ruby outside in the alleyway this morning, asleep, still in her pajamas, and when I woke her up, she had no idea how she'd gotten there. I could smell the wolf in her."

"And the full moon is in two days," he concluded. "Yes, I see how that could be a problem. I take it you no longer have the cloak I made for you?"

Granny sighed, "I was hoping it was here, actually."

He looked honestly surprised by that. "Why would you think it would be here? I don't recall ever receiving it in return for help or a favor."

"No, but odds and ends from our world have a habit of turning up in this shop. Don't think I don't recognize that unicorn mobile you have hanging up." She nodded to it. "I remember Snow and James hanging that above the cradle they were going to put their child in, and I know they didn't sell it, either, but here it is. Seems doubly likely for something of a magical nature to wind up here."

He was silent a moment, considering her statement and, no doubt, the tone of voice she said it in.

"I concede the point, madam. But the cloak is not here. If there's anything else I can help you with—"

"I know you're sweet on that Belle girl," Granny cut him off. "The new librarian. You know as well as I do that she and Ruby are friendly. Belle comes into the diner most days for lunch while she's getting the library set for re-opening. Ruby sets out a different food every day for Belle to try, and then they sit together during Ruby's break. She's a dear girl, and it's good for Ruby to have a friend, with Snow still missing. I wouldn't want anything to happen to Belle if she came by after dark. I'm sure you wouldn't either."

"And, in that case, I'll speak to Belle about perhaps keeping away from Ruby for the foreseeable future," Rumplestiltskin said. "And considering that our town my soon have a rampaging werewolf on its collective hands, I am truly sorry, but I can't help you. The Red Hood is not here."

Granny felt every single year of her age, along with every wound and scar, physical and not, come to weigh down on her. Without the cloak, Ruby would shift. It was clear she didn't have the control she'd been able to

Mr. Gold cleared his throat quietly. "Have you tried Regina? I'm not the only one who attracts items of a magical nature in this town."

She nodded. "It was the first place I went."

With a final nod of appreciation for his time, Granny turned to go.

"I'll keep an eye out for it," Mr. Gold said unexpectedly.

Granny hesitated at the door, the morose bell ringing above her, and debated what that meant and what kind of deal she was making, never doubting that she was making one. Seeing no choice, she nodded. "I'd appreciate that."

And then she walked out the door, wondering what new hell she'd condemned herself and her granddaughter to now.

* * *

_Snow White and Prince James had their camp set up several miles away from one of the Queen's main supply routes. The map spread out on a table before them and their most trusted friends and lieutenants showed the route and surrounding forest. Stones represented their own forces, and a pinecone stood in for the convoy they were preparing to attack._

"_The land around the Winter Palace is rocky and thin," Snow said. "It's no good for farming, and even growing vegetables and fruit in the courtyard gardens takes work and importing good soil from the outlying farms. Growing grain is an impossibility, so she has to have it transported in, either for her own food or to feed the domestic animals in the kitchen garden."_

"_Why the heck would anyone build a castle there in the first place if it was so hard to keep its occupants fed?" Grumpy grumbled._

"_Defense," James explained. "Armies are more likely to attack in the winter when the men aren't needed at home to farm the land. Fathers and younger sons will join up after the harvest in hopes of earning enough gold and silver to help pay for farming expenses the next year. Crops fail. Storms damage the plants with hail, or there's too much rain, or not enough. The money they can earn in the army can help off-set that."_

"_So the numbers that could attack are greatest in the winter," Snow continued. "And to combat that, the Winter Palace had to be as easily defensible as possible. It's in the mountains, surrounded by thick forests crawling with all manner of magical beasts, and the architecture of the palace is both resistant to an army's attempts to breach or scale the walls, but it is foreboding in and of itself. However, it is that very effective defense strategy which can be it's greatest weakness."_

"_Which we are going to exploit in one week's time, when the monthly supply of produce is delivered," James finished._

_As the Prince went on explaining the plan, Red smiled to herself. Snow and James were closer now than they had been a few weeks ago. And even before the attack by King George's men that, in a strange twist, brought the great Lancelot to their side they had often seemed so in tune with one another that they could predict where the other would be or what they were thinking at a given moment. When they had returned from from their adventure, with Sir Lancelot du Lac in tow, and bearing the news of James's mother's death to their trusted inner circle, the now-married couple seemed to think with the same mind, often starting and finishing the same sentence together._

_If Peter had lived..._

_Red sighed and pushed thoughts of her lost love away. There was no purpose in wondering if she and Peter could ever have developed the same, instinctive rapport that Snow and James shared. There had been too many secrets between them, even if Red had not known the most deadly one at the time. _

_Sometimes she hated Granny for that. If she had just trusted Red enough, she would never have taken the Hood off on a full moon night. She would never have gone near Peter. Her true love would never have died. Instead Granny had treated her like a child far after she was grown. Or if Granny had embraced her own wolf, the way her daughter had, and had shown Red how to shift without losing herself to the wolf, there would have been no need for the cloak, no need for the secrecy, and Peter would not have died._

_But, just as with the grief, Red overcame her resentment and anger toward her grandmother. If their situations had been reversed, Red couldn't say that she wouldn't have wanted to protect someone she loved from a life lived, as Granny saw it, as a monster. Even if that meant lying. Her grandfather was gone, probably dead. Her mother had embraced the wolf too much, turning her back on her human half. Red was all Granny had left. And now, Granny was all Red had, too._

_Well, Granny, Snow, and James, she reminded herself as she once again paid attention to the planning details of their scheduled raid._

"_You all know your parts?" James checked._

_Grumpy nodded, gesturing to the six dwarves arrayed around him. "We cut the trees to block the road and pile up deadfall along the roadside to box the convoy in."_

"_I'll take the first wave of men in to deal with the worst of the fighting," Lancelot said._

"_I've got the rear and flanks," Red said. "In case anyone tries to run."_

"_Remember, captives are useful," Snow reminded them. "I don't want to kill any more than we have to. Most of the Queen's men are paid mercenary soldiers. They don't have a particular loyalty to her or to anyone. If we can take a few, we can interrogate them about future supply shipments, any updates to the Winter Palace's defenses, Regina's movements, anything."_

_They all nodded and the meeting broke. The dwarves and a team of foresters who had come to James and Snow White's aide when they set up the call for resistance against both King George and the Queen went out to start gathering dead tree limbs and large branches to start making a fence around the stretch of roadway they had chosen for their ambush. Everyone had a job to do to prepare for the raid. Red just had to wait._

_As she walked away from the group, Snow fell in beside her._

"_I'm sorry Granny couldn't be here," her friend told her. "I hope she'll feel well soon and will be able to re-join us."_

"_Thank you," Red said, slipping her arm through Snow's. "I'm worried about her being a lone while she's sick. When the winter fevers hit the village, she felt she had to go back to help nurse the ill since she rarely gets sick herself. Neither do I. Something to do with the wolf, Granny said." Red shook her head. "I'm worried, though. The fever was worse this year than in years past, though, and Granny's not as spry as she once was."_

"_Don't tell her that," Snow teased._

"_Never!" Red laughed. "But she will have to remain snug in her own bed until she is fully recovered."_

"_Will you be going back to visit her soon?"_

_Red nodded. "We're not far from the cottage. I can make the trip there in a day to gather the supplies Granny has been no doubt been hoarding for us along with more medicine and tell her the news. Then I can return the day after."_

"_Is that enough time? The convoy is due in a week."_

"_Snow, you know I'm useless until then anyway," Red said. "I would be cooling my heels here until the moon was full enough for me to shift."_

"_Still," Snow said, "I don't like splitting up when we're still battling King George on one side and Regina on the other."_

"_I can travel fastest alone," Red said. "I know this part of the forest, and even in human form, my senses are better than most. I'll be back in three days; plenty of time to be ready for the convoy raid."_

"_I don't like it," Snow White reiterated. "It's too risky."_

"_You can forbid me to go, as my Princess and my General," Red said. "But please don't try to stop me as my friend. Every raid we go on may be our last. We all know the price we could pay if we don't succeed. I could die in a random attack in the forest just as easily as I could in battle by your side."_

_Snow was quiet for a moment as they reached Red's tent. _

"_Very well, I won't stop you," Snow said. "But if you are not back in three days, I'm sending Lancelot out looking for you."_

"_Lancelot is needed here," Red argued._

"_James can lead the raid at the front, and we can have archers stationed in the forest to pick of any who flee, but **you** are not replaceable, understand?"_

"_Understood," she said, leaning forward to hug her friend. "I'll set out this afternoon. I should be at the cottage just after nightfall. I won't stay with Granny longer than a day, then I'll be back. I promise."_

"_I'll see you in three days, then."_

_Red entered her tent and gathered a few things into her basket. She packed food for her journey and a fresh shift and underthings. Since the weather had turned cold again, the red hood rarely came off, except when she bathed, so there was no worry about misplacing it. Her hair brush, tooth cleaning kit, and a corked jug of water, and Red was ready for the journey. She waved to Snow and James as she set forth into the forest, and though they both looked uneasy about letting one of their own go off alone, they waved back and watched her go._

_She walked quickly through the forest throughout the afternoon, eating bread and cheese as she went rather than stopping for a meal. The dry pine needles beneath her feet cushioned her steps and created an aromatic carpet. The scent of snow in the air and dried pine sap cleared her head of all thoughts except the joy of walking through the forest in winter. Red was hardly aware that time passed as she made her way thought the forest toward her childhood home until the sun passed behind one of the high mountain peaks and the shadows deepened enough that even her eyes struggled to see very far in front of her._

_For all her reassurances to Snow, Red wasn't expecting trouble._

_Which is why, even with her remarkable senses, the wolf was able to surprise her._

_It was pure luck the wind shifted slightly just before he pounced and Red caught his scent in time to drop to the ground and roll out of the way. She came back to her feet quickly and faced her attacker. He was a huge grey wolf with a black stripe down his back, a black muzzle and paws, and the tip of his tail looked like it had been dipped in ink. His lips were pulled back from his teeth to show dark pink gums and very long canines._

_Red shrugged out of the Hood and prayed, but although she could feel the beast lurking inside her, the moon was still days from full enough to allow her to change and the sun, while obscured by the mountain, had not yet fully set. Clearly the werewolf—he smelled too much like cold iron, burned meat, and strong ale to be a natural wolf—didn't have that problem._

_With no other options, Red grabbed a fallen branch as the wolf advanced._

* * *

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	4. Part 3

**Red Riding Hood and the Woodsman**

Now that the curse is broken, Ruby has been noticing some…changes. Can an old ally help, even if it means putting his children in danger from a wolf?

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with the television show Once Upon A Time, the ABC network, nor Disney except as a viewer. No copyright infringement is intended by this work of fiction.

Storybrooke, Maine—normal font

_Enchanted Forest—italicized font_

Author's Note: After watching the 11/11/12 episode "Children of the Moon," I've gone back and edited a few things. Mostly it's regarding Red's past as a wolf. Basically, assume that everything that happened to Red still applies, but the Storybrooke portion of the episode doesn't exist.

* * *

_PART 3_

_The Woodsman watched the light fade as the sun disappeared behind the tallest mountain peak in the distance. Another day of fruitless searching for his children had passed. He should have stopped an hour ago and found a place to bed down for the night, but his need to find Hansel and Gretel had urged him on long after prudence should have told him to find a place to camp. Now he was left to try to find a stream and an unoccupied hollow tree or sheltered ditch to insulate him from the cold and keep of the snow that had been threatening to fall all day._

_Taking a look around, he saw his chances of finding either appeared to be small. In the dark, it would be almost impossible. Which meant another night huddled under one of the pines, burrowing down into the decades of fallen needles for warmth. _

_He had just decided on a likely specimen whose long arms draped nearly to the ground, sheltering the bowl of the tree, when an angry shout cut through the air followed by the growl of a wolf. His heart thudded imagining his children in danger, half fearing it was them, and half dreading it wasn't. The Woodsman gripped his ax tighter and ran toward the sounds._

_When he reached a small clearing created from one of the ancient trees having long ago fallen and taken several neighbors out with it, creating a natural fence, he found the lone timber wolf cornering a young woman against the trunk of one of the decaying giants. It was huge, and could easily have been an alpha, but there was no sign of any other wolves the clearing or the surrounding forest. Wolves hunted in packs, and a lone wolf was both more dangerous and less. They were less predictable, less likely to give up a meal, but since it was alone, it should be easier to fend off. Especially as the woman herself was not cowering, but wielded a long branch, taking swipes at the wolf when it tried to advance. _

_Dodging the spilled contents of the woman's basket and the red cloak she'd somehow lost, the Woodsman ran forward, swinging his ax at the wolf._

_The wolf turned, snarling at the intruder, and took a moment to regroup. It lunged at the Woodsman, its breath steaming in the air. The Woodsman flipped the ax in his hand. He used the butt of his ax to drive it back. The heavy wood glanced the wolf's muzzle, surprising it. At the same time, the woman swung the branch and hit the wolf's side. The wolf yipped and backed away, swinging its head to look between the two._

_The Woodsman felt his shoulders tighten in unease. He had never seen a wolf, even a lone wolf, act like this. Usually, if prey proved too troublesome, a predator would retreat and find food that was easier to catch. They didn't look as if they were trying to decide whom to attack first._

_The woman swung again, and the wolf turned to her, growling._

"_The sun will set any moment, wolf," she said. "Do you want to be around when the stakes become more even?"_

_The wolf seemed to pause and consider that enigmatic statement, confusing the Woodsman further._

_Whether it understood the threat the woman posed, or it simply realized the two of them were more hassle than a quick meal was worth, the wolf released one final, almost derogatory growl, and ran off into the forest._

_The two humans stood for a moment, watching the shadows beneath the trees, listening for any rustling not made by the overhead branches, any sighs not due to the wind, any sound of soft footfalls out of place as the threatened snow finally began to drift down. After the Woodsman's heart finally began to slow, the woman relaxed and let her branch drop to the ground._

"_He's gone."_

"_Let's hope he's found a nice juicy deer to eat instead," he said._

"_Mm." The woman turned to look at him and offered a smile. "Thank you for your help. I was getting worried."_

"_Don't mention it," the Woodsman returned. "I'm just glad I was close enough that I heard you yell."_

"_Believe me, I am too," she said, chuckling grimly as she went back to her spilled belongings. "I'm surprised to see anyone else out here, though. You're not from the village. I would have recognized you."_

"_There's a village close by?"_

"_The outskirts are about a quarter of a mile that way," she said, pointing west. "I was hoping to make it to my grandmother's cottage before it got dark, but I guess I underestimated how quickly the sun would go behind the mountain."_

_The Woodsman knelt to help her gather up the food and clothing spread on the ground as she pulled the red cloak back over her shoulders with a sigh of relief as the warm felt settled over her._

"_In the village, do you know, have there been two children by?" he asked. "A boy and a girl? The boy has brown hair and eyes, and he's a little small for his age. The girl has blonde hair down to her waist, and she usually wears it in two braids. Their names are Hansel and Gretel."_

"_I'm sorry," the woman said. "I haven't been back in a while."_

_She stood up, prompting him to do likewise, and took the re-packed basket from him. She settled it in the crook of her elbow, frowning in thought. _

"_Granny might know, though," she mused. "If you wanted to come to the cottage with me, you could ask her. Really, the least I can do for you coming to my rescue like that are to offer you dinner and a chance to ask about your children."_

"_I'd appreciate that."_

"_By the way," she said, offering her hand. "I'm Red."_

"_Most people call me Cutter," he said, putting his hand in hers to shake._

"_Nice to meet you. Now let's get to Granny's before something else happens."_

"_Agreed."_

_They set off through the forest at a fast walk and made it to the edge of the clearing which housed Granny's cottage in less than ten minutes. The warm golden glow of Granny's fire and the lanterns lighting her home were visible through the shutters, and Cutter watched as Red quickened her pace, almost running to the door. _

"_Granny!" she called. "I'm home!"_

"_Red!" he heard a woman's hoarse voice respond from inside, followed by a wet cough. When she was through, Granny called back, "One moment. Let me unbolt the door."_

_The sound of a solid wooden bolt being lifted came, and Red flung open the door and wrapped her arms around the old woman who was revealed. Red's Granny rocked back with the force of her granddaughter's hug and laughed, which quickly turned to another round of coughing._

"_I'm sorry," Red apologized. "You should be resting. Come on, come back to the fire and I'll make you some tea. Oh, and we have a guest."_

_Red turned to wave him forward._

"_Granny, this is Cutter. He came to my rescue tonight, so I invited him to have dinner with us."_

"_Rescue?" Granny asked as she moved away from the door._

"_I found your granddaughter trying to fend off a wolf on her own using only a stick," Cutter said, smiling. "I was glad to have been near enough to help. The ax seemed to make a better impression on the beast."_

"_A wolf," Granny murmured, sharing a heavy look with Red._

"_Yes, a wolf," she said, avoiding her grandmother's eys._

"_Well," Granny said, "at least you're all right. Come inside, the both of you, and we'll bolt the door against any more nasty surprises."_

_When Cutter stepped into the cottage, he was pleasantly reminded of the little home he had shared with his wife and children not long ago. The cottage was snug, and the fire in the hearth brought light and warmth to the dwelling. The scent of the soup boiling in the pot hanging over the fire filled the air, mingling with a strong trace of medicinal herbs. By the look of the bottles and pots on the table where Red had deposited her basket, Granny was also the village Wise Woman. Every container was filled with tinctures and unguents and ointments. Cutter guessed by the woman's cough that there must have been sickness in the village lately, and Granny had caught it caring for the others. That worried him for a moment, but surely Red wouldn't be there if the illness was dangerous._

"_So," Granny said as Red helped her settle into the large, comfortable-looking chair near the fire. "Pull up that chair from the table there, and Red can do the honors."_

_She pointed to the soup pot and nodded to her granddaughter. Red busied herself around the kitchen getting out bowls, spoons, and napkins, and cutting slices of bread for them each. She brought them over to the hearth and ladled out the rabbit stew. And when Granny had her fare, she looked at Cutter. "While we eat, you can tell me all about this wolf you came across."_

"_Granny, it was nothing," Red tried to reassure her._

"_Even so," the old woman persisted._

"_Really," he said, seeing Red's unease and assuming she didn't wish to worry her sick grandmother. "It was all over very quickly. I heard Red shout and went running. I found her trying to fend the wolf off with only a stick, so I joined in with my ax—I'm a woodsman, you see? And together, we convinced the wolf we were too much trouble to eat, so it ran off in search of an easier meal."_

"_See?" Red said, sitting down on the hearthstones next to Granny, careful to keep her long skirts and the red cloak she still wore away from the embers. "There was nothing to worry about."_

"_I can tell you this, though," Cutter mused. "A lone wolf is dangerous, and this one was big. Since a wolf is a pack animal, it would only be on its own if it was sick or not fit for the pack for some reason. Lone wolves are dangerous creatures because they're usually desperate and often crazy. If it was this close to a village, it may come closer. You will want to warn your neighbors to be on the lookout; maybe set up a hunting party."_

_Red and Granny shared a long look that Cutter couldn't interpret._

_Finally, Granny said, "Thank you for your advice, Mr. Cutter. I may do that… This village has had quite a lot of trouble with wolves."_

_Red cleared her throat and quickly changed the subject. "Granny, Cutter was wondering if two children had come to the village recently. I wondered if you knew of any strays turning up, or if anyone had mentioned them passing through."_

_Cutter leaned forward, his feet braced wide on the floor, his bowl tightly clutched between his hands. "Please," he said. "My son and daughter are missing. The Queen abducted me from the forest in order to use my children to steal something for her. I'm not sure what—all I know is that they succeeded and she offered them a place in her court as a reward. They refused, so she sent them out into the Enchanted Forest alone and told me to go find them. They've been wandering out there for months. Anything could have happened to them. Please, if you've heard anything…?"_

_Granny frowned and shook her head. "I've only been back to the village for a short time, myself. They haven't been here in that time, and I never heard any talk two children passing through in the summer or autumn. I'm deeply sorry."_

_Truly, he hadn't expected otherwise, but it was still a gut-wrenching blow of disappointment coupled with near terror that Hansel and Gretel were still lost out in the forest, perhaps thinking that he had abandoned them._

"_Wait," Red said, calling him back from his grim thoughts. "You said the Queen was the one responsible for separating you from your children?"_

_Cutter nodded._

"_Then perhaps we can still help you." Red set her bowl aside and moved closer to his chair. "The reason Granny and I haven't been in the village much lately is because we've been in Snow White's camp, helping her and Prince James, her husband, fight the Queen."_

"_But…."_

"_The kingdom rightfully belongs to Snow," she continued. "She is King Leopold's natural heir. The Queen is only royalty through marriage to the murdered King. We are fighting to help Snow White regain her thrown and to avenge the Queen's many wrongs." _

_Red gave him a sad smile. "You're hardly the only person whose life has been affected by the Queen's evil."_

"_But surely they have better things to do than help me look for my children?"_

"_What I mean is, you should come back with me—since Granny's going to be laid up a while longer, until that cough goes away," she said, looking back at her grandmother in warning. _

"_You want me to join the rebels and fight the Queen?" Cutter asked, making sure he understood. "I'm no soldier."_

"_There are plenty of uses for a woodsman in camp," Red assured him. "We need help building shelters, cutting firewood, creating barricades and forts, clearing deadfall…."_

"_I have to find Hansel and Gretel," he argued._

"_Not if we can get the Queen to tell us where they are," she argued back. "When we beat her, we can make her return your children to you."_

"_**If**__ you beat her."_

"_No, __**when**__," Red insisted. "I have to believe there is some justice in this world. The Queen has hurt so many people. She has to fall. It's a matter of time." _

_She reached out and grasped his arm with a warm hand. _

"_Come fight with us."_

"_It's got to be better than wandering around the Enchanted Forest hoping you'll run across them," Granny added, drawing their attention. "After all, if you hadn't heard Red's shouting, you could have passed right by her and now known she was there. You might even have missed the village completely if you'd gone even a quarter mile further east."_

"_Which means I may very well have missed Hansel and Gretel even if I was relatively close to them," Cutter admitted. "You're right."_

_He considered Red's offer and her reassurances that there would be honest work for him in the rebel's camp. When he weighed it against further wandering, he made his choice._

"_I suppose fighting the cause of my grief is better than trying to remedy the symptom." He nodded to Red. "I'll come back to Princess Snow White's camp with you."_

_Red grinned at him and squeezed his arm with the hand that still rested against his sleeve._

_Cutter wished he was less worried so that he could properly appreciate it._

_And unknown to all of them, a large grey wolf crouched at the edge of the forest, his yellow eyes glowing in the light from the cottage as he listened and waited._

* * *

The shriek of what sounded like talons on the worlds' biggest chalkboard woke Michael Tillman from a sound sleep. Fighting off the blankets twisted around his feet, he managed to place the sound: not a giant chalkboard but the metal doors of his service garage, over which he had his apartment. The screech of something sharp dragged across the accordion door sounded again as Mike pulled his work boots on, not bothering with socks.

"Papa!" Ava called from her room next door.

"Stay there!" he called back. "Both of you! Grab a sling or a club just in case!"

Then, remembering the world he was living in, he added, "Call 911!"

He paused in his tiny living room only long enough to grab a Louisville Slugger he kept in the closet to use not only at his Thursday evening softball games, but in case some hot-head tried to break into his business to rob the safe. By the time he started down the stairs, the scratching had become banging, as if someone was throwing themselves against the heavy exterior office door located on the side of the building. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, Mike started flipping every light switch within reach, although he didn't think it would do much good. This didn't seem to be a petty thief looking to lift some cash and equipment who would be scared off by knowledge that the owner was awake. Frankly, he didn't know what he was going to do, and luckily the decision was taken out of his hands.

The sound of a siren blared from the side street.

With one final shove against the door, the attacker let out a howl of rage and ran off.

Michael waited a moment as the police drew nearer before he cautiously went to the office door, unbolted it, and stepped outside. He kept a tight grip on the bat as he scanned the dark street. He couldn't see any shadows moving down the alleys or getaway cars peeling off down the road. As the red and blue flashing lights drew closer, Michael relaxed out of his batting stance and waited for the sheriff's vehicle to stop in front of him.

"How did you get here so fast?" he asked as David Nolan stepped out of the cruiser, a sword in his hand.

"I got a call from some folks not far from here complaining about noises coming from the edge of town," David explained. "Turns out Grumpy and Friar Tuck decided to see who could out drink the other and both ended up serenading the local wildlife to Jon Bon Jovi. I got the dwarves to take care of Grumpy, and called Robin and Little John to come get Tuck. I was just watching Tuck start in on the glam rock material when I got your daughter's call."

He grinned. "That's one tough little girl you've got. She kept her head and was able to give me a fairly good report over the phone."

"She's definitely the strong one," Michael agreed. "She took a lot on herself when her mother died—both here and in the Enchanted Forest."

"But she has you back, now," David said, his voice a little wistful, and Michael remembered that he'd lost his daughter twice and must still be missing both Emma and Snow White. He could understand that.

"So," David said, clearing his throat. "What's the damage?"

"I haven't looked yet," Michael admitted. "I'd just come out when you pulled up."

"Let's go see then."

David let out a low whistle when they rounded the corner to the front of the garage and got a good look at the doors.

"It looks like someone took a sword to them," the sheriff muttered, resting his own blade against his shoulder.

"No, not a sword," Michael said. "Look how close the cuts are. See here," he pointed, "and here. Parallel marks. It was claws. And look here." He reached out and pulled a tuft of dark brown fur from between one two of the sharp gouges in the door. "An animal did this, but I've never seen an animal, even one of the great bears in the Enchanted Forest, who would come into a heavily populated area and attack a metal door, leaving deep marks like this."

"Something big and stronger than a natural animal," David mused. The sheriff looked up to the sky, his face growing grim. "Damn."

Michael looked at his face and frowned. "You know what did this?"

"I don't know, not for certain," the sheriff admitted. "I've got a suspicion, though. How about you come into the sheriff's station later today to make an official statement? Then, you make sure you lock your doors up good and tight for a few more nights. If it's what I think it was, I can't imagine this was more than a random incident. Usually sh—the creature in question goes out to the forest, no matter where we are. It doesn't like cities any more than a natural animal does."

"So I'm just supposed to sit tight?" Michael asked incredulously. "That thing tried to get in. What if it had killed me? What would have happened to my kids? They could have died!"

"No," David insisted. "I promise you that whatever the reasons for this," he gestured to the door, "it wasn't malicious. Remember, with the curse lifted, there are a lot of people in Storybrooke who having strange things happen to them. Just give me some time to figure this out."

David glanced down at his watch and sighed. "It's almost six. Why don't you go on and get your kids ready for school? I've got to go make sure Henry gets up. Once he's at school, I've got a few people to contact about this."

Michael clenched his teeth in irritation, but he gave the man part of him still thought of as his Prince the benefit of his trust. "Alright. But you keep me posted." He sighed and shook his head. "How the hell am I supposed to write this up for the insurance?"

David chuckled. "Just put it down as vandalism. I'll corroborate if anyone questions it."

"Yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck and nodded to David, who got into the police cruiser, replaced his sword in the scabbard abandoned on the passenger-side floor, and pulled away. Michael went back inside the office door and up to his apartment where Nicolas and Ava immediately rushed him.

"What happened?"

"Are you okay?"

"Is anything broken?"

"Was that the Prince?"

Michael held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. First, it looks like someone did some damage to the security door of the garage. That was the noise we heard. Then they tried to get into the office. The sirens scared whatever or whoever it was off. Sheriff David is looking into it. I have to go make a statement at the station later today, and call the insurance adjuster."

Ava's brows were pinched, and Michael almost smiled at how much she looked like her mother when she was anxious.

"Is he going to catch whoever did it?" Ava asked.

"Yes," he said.

"Do you think they'll come back?"

Michael leaned the Louisville Slugger he still carried against the back of the couch and crouched down in front of his daughter. He reached out and pulled her close to look into her eyes. "We're safe, and I promise you, whoever vandalized the doors will not get you. I give you my word. Okay?"

"Okay," she said.

The alarm in his room went off, cutting off anything else they might have said.

"Alright," Michael said, standing up. "It looks like we're all up, so why don't you guys go get dressed and we'll head to the diner early, and see if we can surprise Ruby and Granny. Maybe we'll get hash browns today?"

Nicolas was kind enough to laugh, and even Ava relaxed enough to smile before they scampered off to their rooms. Ava had the spare bedroom that, while cursed, Michael hadn't known why he absolutely had to have in his apartment. Nicolas had what had originally been a storage space that Michael had—again, not knowing why—converted into a comfortable nook with a long pull-out couch and track lights on the ceiling. He wondered again if he ought to think about buying a house, but it seemed low on his priorities with the curse just broken and dealing with the aftermath of the Wraith attack. The two cars and a van that he had in the garage at the moment were the last of the vehicle repairs from damage caused by the Wraith.

Michael would start work on the van first, after breakfast. It belonged to a man who had been his friend for years in Storybrooke. His wife was clinically depressed and was often in the hospital and saw Dr. Hopper regularly—until the curse broke and he was able to make her laugh the way he had in the Enchanted Forest, regaining their happy ending. This time, without the goose, just a carton of dropped eggs.

They were all ready and out the door in less than a half hour. The three piled into Michael's Ford 4x4 truck, buckled in, and started across town to Granny's before the sun was even up. They sky was brightening from indigo to cerulean, and at the horizon the gold, pinks, and purples of pre-dawn painted the sky. It was one of the things he missed most about living at the edge of civilization: the ability to watch the sun come up without buildings in the way.

He was on a stretch of road between two traffic lights. Traffic was almost non-existent at this hour, so he was taking the opportunity to look out the window to watch the dawn sky when Ava shrieked.

"Dad!"

Michael stood on the brake before his eyes had even returned to the road, making the brakes squeal in protest. His right arm automatically shot out to brace Ava and Nicolas beside him on the bench seat as the truck jolted to a stop. They all thudded back against the seat when their momentum caught up with them. For a long moment, they sat, tense, listening to their heartbeats thud and their breath rasp in the cabin of the truck as the startled animal outside froze in the headlights.

"Are you both alright?" he asked.

"Yes," Ava gasped and pulled at the now too-tight seat belt.

"Is that a dog?" Nicolas asked, leaning forward to try and see over the truck's hood.

Michael kept his eyes on the animal staring wide-eyed into the headlights of the 4x4. It wasn't a dog, but Nicolas was close. And since wolves—especially one this size—were rare in Maine, it was likely this one had been brought over by the curse. And it that was the case, it meant it could be capable of anything. He thought back through his time wandering the Enchanted Forest in search of his children and all the strange encounters he'd had. There had been the talking frog in the southern swamps who would con young noblewomen into taking him home so that he and his accomplices could rob them, but a frog certainly didn't do this. Then there was the family that was turned into bears by a disgruntled witch who thought she deserved only the best of everything, even when her hosts were poor beekeepers. That was to say nothing of the chimera hoards and prides of manticore that roamed the forest.

Slowly, as if it might pick up on his fear even from inside the truck, Michael turned off the headlights hoping it would release the wolf's attention the way it did with deer and the other assorted wildlife that occasionally managed to make its way into Storybrooke. With the light doused, it shook its head, as if it was trying to shake away the stars and spots resulting from staring directly into the headlights. The wolf blinked away some of its stupor and started to back away from the truck.

The sun chose that moment to tiptoe over the horizon and peek between two shop-buildings, illuminating a rectangle on the ground directly in front of them. For a moment, the pale light brought auburn highlights to the wolf's milk-chocolate fur and showed lighter markings around its eyes and muzzle. Then it was as if a heat shimmer passed between Michael's eyes and the wolf despite the cool morning. The next moment, Ruby Lucas crouched in front of his truck.

She blinked once, swayed, and fell over in the street.

No one in the truck spoke for a moment.

"Did that seriously just happen?" Nicolas finally asked.

Michael had no idea how to answer that. Even in the Enchanted Forest, where the occasional animal could talk and if you angered the wrong person, you could end up a toad or snail or a swan, this was a new situation for him.

"I saw it," Ava confirmed.

Nicolas reached for the door handle while Ava popped the seatbelt that held them both in.

"Not so fast!" Michael stopped them. "I'm going out first. Both of you stay put."

They turned disappointed faces to him which he ignored. He had no idea what was going on, so he moved with caution. He made sure his children were going to listen to him (at least for a while) and then slowly opened the driver-side door. Rather than jumping down all at once, he stepped out onto the running board then eased himself to the ground. He left the door open to avoid making any loud noises and to keep his escape route clear. He reached into the bed of the truck and pulled out a long tire iron before he edged around the hood of the truck, wishing he still had his ax. He felt a little bad about that, but since he had no idea if this was really Ruby or an illusion or an imposter, being armed was a comfort. He had seen a lot in his wandering in the Enchanted Forest, and he wasn't about to discount anything until he had some answers.

When he made it around the truck and took a good look at what was laying on the ground, he started calling his own sanity into question. The woman on the ground certainly looked like the Ruby he saw every day, who knew his family's order by heart and was always kind to his children. True, this Ruby was dressed in tiny, faded red sleep-shorts and a baggy T-shirt with the iconic open-mouthed Rolling Stones logo on it, half covered by her bare, human arm, but the red highlights in her hair were the same, and there was a smudge around the eye he could see that looked like her eyeliner had not been completely washed off.

She also appeared to be well and truly out of it. She didn't even twitch in the cool morning air. She didn't stir at all when he sidled up beside her and crouched down to touch two fingers to her wrist, searching for a pulse. When he pressed hard enough to feel the thrum of her blood, it was slow and steady as if she were deeply asleep.

He heard the passenger-side door open as his kids blatantly disobeyed him. Not that he could blame them, Now that the shock was wearing off, he was as curious as they surly were. Though he doubted they felt as angry, as betrayed, as he was beginning to feel now that he had a chance to think.

"Is that Ruby?" Ava asked, cautiously staying near the truck.

"Yeah, it's Ruby," he confirmed.

"Cool!" Nicolas said as he edged closer. "She's a werewolf!"

Thanks to almost three decades in this world of Michael Tillman being a horror movie fan, he'd come to that conclusion as well. But he was much less enthusiastic about it.

"We can't just leave her in the road," his daughter pointed out. "Someone might hit her."

Michael wanted to protest that yes, they could do just that, and then turn around, drive his children home, and call the sheriff's office while subjecting Nicolas and Ava to his questionable cooking skills. But a sense of decency he'd only recently rediscovered told him that Ava was right. It insisted that there had to be a reason someone he knew and had once trusted would have kept something so big, so vital, so…well, _relevant_ from him.

"Both of you, in the truck," he said.

While they scrambled back in, Michael propped Ruby up so that he could slip on of his arms around her back, then eased the other under her knees to lift her. He carried Ruby to the truck quickly and fought with himself over where to put her. His decency told him to pile her into the cab. His equally well-developed sense of protectiveness insisted he put Ruby in the truck bed rather than the cabin with his children. He listened to the later and maneuvered Ruby into the truck bed, away from his tools.

Ava opened the little sliding window, frowning at him.

"That's kind of mean."

"My job is to keep you two safe," he said. "I lost you both once because I wasn't being careful enough, and I thought nothing would hurt us. I am not falling down on the job again. So Ruby goes in the back, and you keep that closed."

Ava rolled her eyes, but closed the window. Michael had a momentary shudder wondering if this was his daughter at eleven, what would fifteen be like? He needed someone to help him handle this.

Still, her disapproval made him feel a little guilty. He shucked his jacket off and balled it up. Gently lifting Ruby's head, he placed the jacket underneath to serve as a pillow.

Throughout it all, Ruby didn't stir.

* * *

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